This is a weird statement, btw: "or even do much of any significant damage to the lungs depending on how it's smoked."

1. How much is "much of any significance"? Is "some" ok?

2. ..."depending on how it is smoked" is a fun caveat. A lot of things can be dangerous or not dangerous "depending on how it is utilized".

Fair point, I left it a bit vague mainly because there is a very wide variety of ways to get the smoke into ones lungs, some "cleaner" than others. Also, frequency plays a major role in sustained lung damage and the lungs' ability to heal itself (which can vary person to person) is another variable. Some studies have shown that fewer than 5 cigarettes a day do little to no sustained/long-term lung damage so if you take someone who smokes water filtered weed once or twice a week, or even once or twice a day there should be little to no damage. Certainly none if utilizing a vaporizer. Now if you go burnin through five or six fat philly blunts every day you may develop a bit of a cough (mainly from the tobacco blunt wraps though). Oddly enough one study even showed that smoking mary inhibited the growth of cancer cells in the lungs; finding that cigarette smokers who also smoked mj were less likely to develop lung cancer than those that simply smoked cigs.

I really was intent upon leaving this site, but the dialog here has compelled me to post.

The initial purpose of my post was not to discuss whether MMJ/marijuana should be legal or not, but more the issue of..."conviction". How many have felt so deeply about an issue that they were willing to risk their livelihoods, or even lives, on the line for something they believe in?

I know many here in this community (Amador County) that feel strongly about an issue, but when "push comes to shove"...they really wouldn't "risk" their comfy lifestyle to support their cause...they'd be more willing to let someone else do the "dirty work".

I did it. I cut my hair for it. I had long hair for 20 years but I "knew" that if I went before the county speak wearing one of my many fine suits with long hair, all they would see is a "hippy" in a nice suit. Let's disregard the fact that I haven't puffed since 19, I've been a registered Card Carrying Republican from 1978 until 2004 when I went Libertarian...All they'd see is a "pot smoker" in a suit, right. And then there's the risk of my career. The owner of my company is "tight" within this rural county. All these families go back generations. The owner has invited me to attend social/political functions. When she couldn't meet with Rep. Dan Lungren on the issue of ObamaCare, she asked me to attend and be "the voice"

And when my wife, who is the MMJ patient, said that I was risking all this. I told her that I needed to...because nobody else seemed to be doing a damn thing to speak to these officials. Yes, attempts were made to fire me...but they failed. My wife lives with pain...every single day. I care for her. I see what she endures. I wish she could run with me, but she can't. She never will be able to do so...But I will do what it takes to ensure that she can maintain a relatively pain free life...without addicting opiates that BigPharma prescribes to the masses.

Would you risk your livelihood to uphold your convictions?

Not sure if I really want to come back as of yet, but I appreciate each and every participant in this thread. You may disagree with me, but don't condemn me for what I believe in. I would support your right to your beliefs in return. I wish you all well.

Better I Leave

posted: 1/23/2013 at 11:44 PMmodified: 1/24/2013 at 12:19 AM

To put things into perspective as to where I'm "coming from", I had an employee who is a "devout Christian" tell me one day when the vote to legalize Gay marriage was coming down that I needed to vote against it because his Pastor told the congregation that gay marriage would destroy America.

After I was through with him, he would've felt better had he been ass fucked by a gay man...LOL! I tore him a new one so wide that he never tried to debate me again...Citing the US Constitution and the rights of others really frustrates those guys, ya know? I can respect his feelings and if that's how he feels, so much the better...but DON'T TELL ME HOW I SHOULD IMPOSE LEGISLATION TO FOIST CONTROL OVER THE LIVES OF OTHERS.

To put things into perspective as to where I'm "coming from", I had an employee who is a "devout Christian" tell me one day when the vote to legalize Gay marriage was coming down that I needed to vote against it because his Pastor told the congregation that gay marriage would destroy America.

After I was through with him, he would've felt better had he been ass fucked by a gay man...LOL! I tore him a new one so wide that he never tried to debate me again...Citing the US Constitution and the rights of others really frustrates those guys, ya know? I can respect his feelings and if that's how he feels, so much the better...but DON'T TELL ME HOW I SHOULD IMPOSE LEGISLATION TO FOIST CONTROL OVER THE LIVES OF OTHERS.

"The initial purpose of my post was not to discuss whether MMJ/marijuana should be legal or not, but more the issue of..."conviction". How many have felt so deeply about an issue that they were willing to risk their livelihoods, or even lives, on the line for something they believe in?"

I think part of the backlash is, indeed, that you compared yourself to Martin Luther King on Martin Luther King Day and continue to want a group of strangers to be impressed by this comparison and your activism. If this is not the impression you wished to give, you might want to consider the way you portray yourself with calls along the lines of "Who is willing to risk their lives?" and the like.

While there may be wildly varying opinions on this board, this does not set a tone that is conducive to discourse.

"When a person trains once, nothing happens. When a person forces himself to do a thing a hundred or a thousand times, then he certainly has developed in more ways than physical. Is it raining? That doesn't matter. Am I tired? That doesn't matter, either. Then willpower will be no problem." Emil Zatopek

"The initial purpose of my post was not to discuss whether MMJ/marijuana should be legal or not, but more the issue of..."conviction". How many have felt so deeply about an issue that they were willing to risk their livelihoods, or even lives, on the line for something they believe in?"

I think part of the backlash is, indeed, that you compared yourself to Martin Luther King on Martin Luther King Day and continue to want a group of strangers to be impressed by this comparison and your activism. If this is not the impression you wished to give, you might want to consider the way you portray yourself with calls along the lines of "Who is willing to risk their lives?" and the like.

While there may be wildly varying opinions on this board, this does not set a tone that is conducive to discourse.

I'm pretty sure he was not comparing himself to King. It is certainly relevant to associate political/civic activism with King. What he did was the right thing, but risky. He should be commended, not criticized. If there were more citizens like him we would all be better off. The riskiest thing most of us ever do is criticize others on the internet.

"I know my cause pales in comparison to the cause that the Reverend King took up, but he too was an activist...and he paid for his beliefs with his life. I can see where many people feel that it's better to simply go about one's life and not "rock the boat". I look around and see much apathy and complacency. What I began in my county, and what happened to us, some have said we got what we deserved. Well, sometimes ya just gotta stand up and speak, ya know? It's all about conviction and what you believe is the right thing to do."

If that somehow wasn't the intention, then the paragraph above is simply flabbergasting.

I'm pretty sure he was not comparing himself to King. It is certainly relevant to associate political/civic activism with King. What he did was the right thing, but risky. He should be commended, not criticized. If there were more citizens like him we would all be better off. The riskiest thing most of us ever do is criticize others on the internet.

"When a person trains once, nothing happens. When a person forces himself to do a thing a hundred or a thousand times, then he certainly has developed in more ways than physical. Is it raining? That doesn't matter. Am I tired? That doesn't matter, either. Then willpower will be no problem." Emil Zatopek

After I was through with him, he would've felt better had he been ass fucked by a gay man...LOL! I tore him a new one so wide that he never tried to debate me again.

The hard part about activism is getting people on your side. It's one thing to be passionate about what you believe in. But when it becomes grossly offensive like this? People become alienated and stop listening.

The hard part about activism is getting people on your side. It's one thing to be passionate about what you believe in. But when it becomes grossly offensive like this? People become alienated and stop listening.